Hi, I am back with the second instalment of my blog on immunity boosters. I will be covering Turmeric today, but before that I am taking the liberty of walking down the memory lane of my childhood days in Assam to let you know about use of Turmeric in some of our rituals.
Every year my parents, brothers and I used to visit Assam, from mid-April till the end of May, to stay in my grandparent’s house. We planned this vacation according to our school break, generally visiting before Bohag Bihu (Assamese New Year) or just after Bihu. My father served in the Indian Air Force, and consequently he was frequently transferred to different locations in India. We moved from one KV (Kendriya Vidyalaya) school to another, but we always looked forward to these vacations in Assam.
Bohag Bihu is one of the major festivals of Assam which is celebrated every year during the month of April. This festival marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. I distinctly remember some of the rituals that my folks used to perform and looking back on all those memory got me thinking that some of these rituals that were done in Bihu were (& still are) very healthy as well as spiritual – resulting in complete cleansing and detoxification of mind and body.
A major ritual for all the people to rub oneself with a paste of turmeric, lentils (paste of urad dal) and little oil before a bath. This paste gives a golden glow to one’s complexion & helps to get rid of dead cells. Antiseptic property of turmeric cures any kind of skin diseases and detoxifies the skin. Turmeric holds an important place in Indian tradition because it purifies and cleanses the body. Yellow is the color associated with spring, happiness and new beginnings. On Bihu, meeting friends and relatives and going around the neighbourhood was very fun. There is a phrase, ‘ When we are happy, we are healthy.’ According to researchers, when we are happy, meet people, connect with face to face interactions, we release optimum levels of serotonin and oxytocin. This is the same hormone released in breast feeding women to bond with the baby. Oxytocin is released into our bodies by our pituitary gland, lowering both our heart rates and our cortisol levels. This helps to reduce stress and depression leading to a stronger immune system.
Here sharing a link if you want to read about oxytocin https://www.longdom.org/open-access/microbes-oxytocin-and-healthful-longevity-2329-8901.1000117.pdf
During the festival, my mom and grandmom used to prepare a dish with 101 leafy vegetables/herbs collected from our backyard garden, as part of another ritual. It was the most wonderful dish I ever had. This ritual is still in practice, but I miss out on that now. I remember my mom telling me about the medicinal properties of the herbs. The scientific reason behind this ritual could be that eating all these herbs during seasonal change helped in building better immunity.
According to researchers, Curcumin is also known as a mild anti – depressant and a natural remedy for headaches as well. Before an Indian wedding, turmeric paste is applied to the bride & the groom. It ensures the couple is protected against any cuts, bruises or ailments before the wedding ; and also relieve wedding day anxiety and jitters.
A healthy diet, adequate sleep and exercise are all factors that strengthen our immune system. To prevent our immunity from going down, I believe it is important that we add Turmeric to our diet thru different means.
Turmeric is a warm spice that comes from the root of Curcuma plant. Curcumin found in turmeric is known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties making it an excellent spice for boosting immunity.
I generally try to use fresh turmeric. Whenever it’s available in the market, (in Bangalore, it is easily available in the month of January) I buy in larger quantities. I then sow some in my pot. That way, it stays fresh inside the soil and a beautiful plant grows out of it. It has beautiful light green color leaves.
Whenever I want some turmeric, I dig out a little from the side and cut a small portion leaving the rest inside the soil.
I use these in preparing a hot concoction of turmeric, ginger, black-pepper, basil, herb-tea and vasaka leaves ( Justicia Adhatoda) to treat cough and cold of my family members.
Another way of taking turmeric, to keep cold at bay:
Add 1 inch of grated raw turmeric or ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder with the juice of quarter of lemon with a pinch of ground black pepper in a cup of hot water. Optional, you can add ½ inch of grated ginger also.
During winters or if we got drenched in rain, my Mom used to give us turmeric milk. She used to prepare by – boiling ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder or ½ inch raw turmeric and 3 – 4 crushed peppercorns in 1 cup of milk, to drink before 1hr of bedtime. You can add honey to sweeten it. Good for immunity and cough & cold too. (Use water to prepare concoction instead of milk for lactose intolerant people).
You can add turmeric to your smoothies and juices.
Turmeric is safe as long as you consume it in moderation.
Unfortunately, it’s hard for the body to absorb curcumin in turmeric to see positive effects. The good news is combining it with another spice, black pepper may enhance its strength in the body. Black pepper known to be a food that’s warm in nature. Black pepper is equally good for cough & cold while enhancing digestion and also supplies oxygen to the brain. Research supports that combining the piperine in black pepper with the curcumin in turmeric enhances curcumin absorption by up to 2000%.
My daughter shared with me the following two theories, based on actual research, explaining the above.
1 Piperine makes it easier for curcumin to pass through the intestinal wall and into your bloodstream.
2 It may slow down the breakdown of curcumin by the liver, increasing its blood levels.
Sharing a link for more information on turmeric https://www.healthline.com/health/turmeric-tea-benefits#who-should-drink-turmeric-tea
https://www.thekitchn.com/7-ways-to-eat-drink-turmeric-198696
NOTE: Avoid taking turmeric in large quantities if pregnant or taking blood thinning medications. Curcumin in particular interfere with medications like antidepressants, antibiotics, antihistamines, anticoagulants, cardiac medications, diabetes medications that lower blood pressure, according to review published in September 2017 in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Those who are prone to kidney stones or have an iron deficiency should take turmeric with caution.
Avoid in cases of jaundice, acute liver disease, gallstones, ulcers, bile duct obstruction and hyperacidity.
